Reincarnation
by RyoshiMorino
Summary: AU: Sealed away by her own sons, death grips the Rabbit Goddess, and her soul wanders. After a thousand years of aimless drifting in and out of time, the Goddess is reborn into the world where so many things have changed since the days of old. But how will the Goddess cope with the girl that she has become? Tags: Adventure/Romance/ Friendship/ T-Childhood Arc- M-eventually.
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary:**_ _Sealed away by her own sons, death grips the Rabbit Goddess, and her soul wanders. After a thousand years of aimless drifting in and out of time, the Goddess is reborn into the world where so many things have changed since the days of old. But how will the Goddess cope with the girl that she has become?_

 ** _Part One - Childhood_**

 ** _1: The Orphaned Girl_**

* * *

The Village Hidden within the Leaves was, and still is, one of the most prominent of Shinobi villages in that it was one of the two largest out of the five great villages, only smaller by a third than the Village Hidden within the Clouds, and the might of the village itself was something to behold. Her forces often consisted of four man squads; one Jonin instructor, and three young Genin apprentices. The Jonin would normally be a seasoned Shinobi of at least eighteen to twenty years of age, though there have been times when those Jonins were nothing but children themselves.

Two examples were the son of the White Fang, Kakashi Hatake, made Jonin at the tender age of seven during a time of war against three of the other Shinobi villages. Another would be the war hardened Shisui Uchiha, master of the Body Flicker technique, rivaling the great Fourth Hokage in speed and skill. And then there was the young prodigy of the Uchiha clan, Itachi, Shisui's best friend, whom made Anbu at the tender age of ten.

What it was most known for, however, was the fact that it was home to the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the strongest, and most feared of all the nine Tailed Beasts roamed the land, having been the last of its kind to be sealed into a human body through the meddling of one Madara Uchiha, the most feared of his clan.

Now, little over one hundred years after the founding, the village was in a state of brittle peace.

It is this brittle time that begins this tale. Within the village's perimeter lay a vast forest created by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, whose trees were as taller then the very walls of the village itself, hiding it from sight even though it was protected by a physical barrier held in place by seals, and powerful Shinobi that practiced the art of the seals.

Within the forest lived all manner of bird and beast, from the smallest cardinal, to the greatest onbaa the forest was full of life. But one such life was not meant to be there.

In the depths of the forest, the air chilled with the first touches of winter, seemingly out of the trunk of a giant oaken tree came a rift. A rift in the very space surrounding the bark. Out of this rift tumbled a small child. She was pale, with grey-ish-blue hair, and eyes so pale that one may think her blind at first glance. Her eyebrows were long and elegant for one so young, with a color the same as her hair.

A tattered and filthy dress covered pale skin which clung to her bones as she weakly trudged out of the rift, walking aimlessly in no particular direction. The creatures of the forest gave the child a wide berth, sensing danger even though the girl was so much smaller than any of the predators lurking nearby.

As she walked, her feet bare and swollen, she craved water, and pleaded with whatever Tengu that might be watching her for food as her stomach growled. She kept walking, knowing that if she stopped, she would never move again, and death would take her.

"The world is a great deal larger than you may believe, Naruto," she heard an old, wizened voice speaking, "Beyond this forest that keeps our village hidden, the land is vast, and filled with wonder." She turned in the direction of the voice, and tried to speed up her steps. She heard water.

"Wonder?" Asked a younger voice; much younger. "Like what, gramps?"

The first voice chuckled, "Well, for example," the old man spoke as she began to run, "did you know that these fish you've caught are small compared to others out in the oceans?"

Fish? The girl's mouth watered.

"Really?" The younger voice, Naruto, said, "Like how small?"

She didn't particularly care, just so long as she could eat.

"To compare these that you have caught to those in the ocean would be as if you were comparing a flea's size to the Hokage's Monument," the man chuckled, "And then there are bigger creatures still in the sea, such as the great horned-whales, and sharks that feed on smaller fish."

The girl stumbled out of the forest, nearly tumbling head first into a stream.

"I really wanna see that," yelled a blond boy sitting beside a roaring fire where fish and mushrooms were roasting.

The old man sat across from him, smiling kindly.

The sound of her stomach growled attracted the man's attention. His eyes widened if only a fraction as he saw the pale girl on her hands and knees, gazing at the fire hungrily. "Perhaps someday you can," he said, rising, and moving toward the stream, "But first," he said, making the girl start as he effortlessly glided across the waters without even getting his feet wet, and came to stand in front of her, "I believe this young lady would like some of that fish you caught?" He held out the fish he had been given by the blond child.

Naruto had only just noticed the girl, having been too wowed by the fact that the old man was walking on top of the water, and frowned. She looked worse than he himself did. And he was not in what one would call healthy shape. But he wasn't near as gaunt as the girl, who was now gobbling down the fish she was given, seemed to be.

"Uh, I-um, have more, if she wants?" The boy said, sounding unsure.

The old man smiled and picked the girl up, walking back across the stream without so much as a care, and sat them by the fire so that she could warm up while she ate.

Naruto was afraid she'd swallow a bone, or even the stick the food was skewered on at the rate she was going. He was no stranger to hunger, but he'd never seen someone like her before, not even himself when he hadn't eaten in a while.

The old man watched as the two children devoured the meal, smiling as the little girl in his arms all but inhaled the food given to her. ' _Strange,_ ' he thought as he looked over her, ' _Her skin matches that of the Hyuga clan, but her hair is off by a great deal._ ' He frowned as he noticed the girl's eyes. They were indeed the pale, pupiless eyes of the Hyuga, but she was most certainly not of said clan. The dead giveaway to that was simply the fact that she was out here in the wilds on her own, gaunt, and starved. Pale they may be, but he had never met a Hyuga who had missed a meal such as this little girl obviously had.

Before the man could ask the name of the strange child, he found her dozing off in his arms. She seemed so tiny compared to even Naruto, who was not well cared for, as he had wanted, and the man frowned at the thought. "Naruto," the boy looked up at him, "Would you like to walk with me back to the village?" He smiled as the blond child nodded, "My family is quite large, so our home has more than enough room to put up two hungry children for the night."

Naruto beamed at him with shimmering blue eyes, "Really?!" He yelled, "Wow, you're a lot nicer than a lot of the other people in the village!"

The man chuckled, and rose, carefully shifting the sleeping little girl in his arms, "I suppose that I am, but if it were up to me, I would make sure that all of the villagers were nice to such a boy like you," he smiled as the boy looked at him in confusion, "You are quite the kindest boy I've ever met. Feeding an old man when you yourself are close to starving, and then giving more to this little girl. I think that you, out of all the people in the Village Hidden within the Leaves, have the greatest potential to become not only a great shinobi, but a Hokage that will surpass all others."

Naruto looked up at him in confusion still, "Shinobi are the guys that wear those awesome headbands, right?" He asked, gaining a nod from the man, "But what's a Hokage, old man?"

"The Hokage is the strongest Shinobi in the village, and he or she leads us through daily matters, and in times of war," he said, smiling at the child's curiosity, "The Hokage is also respected and acknowledged by all within the village."

Naruto looked at the man in interest, "I think I'd like being the Hokage," he said, frowning, "All of the people either ignore me, or yell at me when I pass by, even when I don't pull a prank on anyone, they're always looking at me like I did something really, really wrong."

"And you've done nothing to earn such resentment," the old man sighed as they walked along, "That shall change, I believe. I will make it so."

Naruto blinked up at the man, "How're you gonna do that?"

The man smiled, chuckling, "Oh, didn't I tell you, Naruto?" He asked, "I am the Third Hokage, and it is my duty to protect all those that reside in the Leaf."

(*)

The compound of the Sarutobi clan was one of the larger compounds of the Hidden Leaf Village in that it had a numerous amount of clansmen, second only the Akimichi clan. The Hyuga clan and Uchiha clans were tied with each other in numbers, which brought in the Nara clan at fourth place. Very few of the greater clans had long since passed from the world, leaving scant few Shinobi clans with special abilities left.

The Sarutobi clan was not among them.

The clan was known, not for any sort of special ability, but for their prowess with the bo staff, and their naturally occurring affinities for Wind and Fire style techniques. They were also allied with the great Monkey King, Enma. They were the village's fiercest warriors when in combat.

And the line of succession as the clan's leader was secure in Lord Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi's sons, Asuma and Takizawa Sarutobi. Now, as the clan's patriarch returned home with the two children in tow, it was to the clan's great surprise, and pleasure.

Naruto, while not like by the majority of the village, was welcomed among the Sarutobi clan. Hiruzen had made it very clear to his family that the boy was to be treated with kindness by them, if not by the rest of the village, and hailed as a hero for deeds unknown to the boy. The girl, a mystery even to the Hokage, was fussed over like a newborn as she was taken into the care of the clan's ladies.

Awakened by the commotion, the poor little girl clung to the Hokage until the man assured her that she would be well taken care of. She didn't say a word as she was whisked away to be bathed, and properly clothed.

"You poor dear," said the woman that had taken her, "Out in this horrible cold without even shoes!" She said, noting the girl's reddening feet as they warmed. The girl didn't know what to make of it all as she was stripped and placed in a warm tub. After a moment of surprise, she sighed at the feeling of the warm water on her pallid skin.

The woman went about carefully washing the child, taking care not to be too rough given her malnourished shape, and began washing her hair. "You have such pretty hair," she smiled as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I've never seen anyone with hair like yours, deary. Now close your eyes," she warned her as she pour water over her head to rinse out the soap. The girl did as instructed and covered her eyes with her hands before the water was dumped.

Another woman came into the bath with a set of fresh clothing, and a warm, fluffy towel for the girl, "Oh, she's so thin!" The newcomer bemoaned, "But we'll fix that right up, won't we?"

"Have the cooks started up, yet?" The woman bathing her asked.

"Yes, and they decided on something simple, rice porridge." The other woman said, kneeling down to help her, "Oh, my, what pretty eyes she has!" She said as the girl blinked at her, "What's your name, sweetie?"

The girl looked at them in confusion, blinking. "Ah...au..."

The two women looked at each other, "Kimi, I...I don't think she can talk!"

"I'll go get a medic right now!" The other woman, Kimi, said, rushing from the room frantically.

The girl felt herself heating up around her face, wondering if she had done something wrong. Then the woman picked her up gently and began toweling her off. "Don't worry, deary, it's alright," she said, comforting the girl's worry. "When the medical shinobi have a look at you, we'll have you talking in no time at all. You'll see."

The girl smiled a little and sighed as she was wrapped in the towel, feeling warm.

"Arms up, deary," the woman said, holding a white slip above her. She raised her hands and the dress was slipped over her head. "I've got some underwear here, too. Do you know how to put them on?"

She nodded.

"Good girl," the woman smiled, patting her head, "I'll leave you for a minute to see how dinner's coming, and then be right back, okay?"

Again, she nodded, and finished getting dressed as she was left alone. She was used to that. It didn't bother her all that much. Besides, they said that they would be back, didn't they?

And back they came. Kimi was the first to return with another woman in tow. She was younger than the elderly Kimi, and had soft-spoken features. The girl was immediately comfortable around her. The woman set about examining her, frowning from time to time as the first woman came back. The medic smiled and sent her on her way to dinner.

Kimi frowned at her, "Well?"

"Something is very wrong with that child," the medic said, shaking her head, "From what I could find, her throat, voice box included, was crushed, to the extent that she shouldn't even be alive," She growled, clenching her fists as Kimi stared at her aghast. "Strangely, though, her chakra seems to have a natural healing ability, and seems to be working to repair the damage that was done to her. Though it seems it's going to be a slow process considering how malnourished she is. She's going to need a lot of care over the next few months."

"She'll get it," the woman promised, "We won't let anyone lay another finger on her, or the boy if he decides to stay!"

(*)

Once both children were cleaned and properly fed, Hiruzen shooed them both off to bed, the hour well passed midnight, far too late for such young children to be awake, and placed them in the same room for the little girl's benefit.

It was his sons' old room, and had to twin beds, both of which were turned down for the two children. Naruto practically bounced up onto his bed, laughing as he flopped down onto the mattress. The little girl struggled to climb into her bed, and was helped by Hiruzen, who tucked both children into bed, smiling as Naruto immediately dropped off and started snoring.

The little girl had found a stuffed monkey by her pillow and cuddled it against her as she drifted off, comfortable for the first time in a long while. Satisfied the the two children were settled for the night, the Hokage left them to sleep.

Outside the room he found one of his guardsmen standing there, "Lord Third, what shall we do about the children?"

"For now, they shall stay here," Hiruzen said, tucking his arms behind his back, no longer the caring elderly man he had been from before, but now the Third Hokage, a man not to be questioned or trifled with. "I would like you to inform the elders of the development. Leave nothing out. Also, I would like you to call a small meeting of the clan heads tomorrow. This girl is strange. I've never seen anyone or anything like her."

"She seems a sweet child," the masked Shinobi said, "I'd heard from the medic that she'd been strangled to the point that she can no longer speak?"

Hiruzen nodded grimly, "So it would seem, and I would like nothing more than to set the bastard responsible ablaze," he said, moving down the hall, "The poor thing was more than half-starved, even after having two meals within two hours' time." He sighed, "Naruto was little better. I will not allow him to return to the life he was living. Both of them are of age to be placed in academy this coming year. By then, the girl should have recovered enough to speak, and perhaps tell us of her origins."

"The elders will not like you showing favoritism to the boy," the guard said.

"That is why they gave me the big hat," the old man grinned, "Besides, I'm tired of them dictating to me. I won't allow Naruto to grow up in that drafty apartment if I can do something about it. My one and only concern at the moment, however, is keeping those children safe until they're able to be come shinobi."

* * *

 _ **Something new begins.**_

 _ **Leave a review if you like this idea.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Previously:**_ _Hiruzen Sarutobi takes in two young orphans, one of whom is known to him, while the other is a mystery. Revealed to have been violently attacked, the little girl was rendered unable to speak, leaving her identity as a blank slate. Within the safety of the Sarutobi clan, the two children are safe...for the moment._

 ** _Part One: Childhood_**

 ** _2: Celestial Warning_**

* * *

As per his request, a meeting was called the very next morning concerning the little girl Hiruzen had brought back to the village, as well as the fate of Naruto Uzumaki, both of whom were presently by his side, wondering what was happening.

Naruto had no idea who a lot of these people were, but he did know a few of them. Some of them were the only ones that had ever been nice to him. There was Shikaku, one of his only friends' dad, who always greeted him whenever they met in the streets. He would also treat him to a meal sometimes, or gift him with clothes he could wear when the ones he had grew too worn, or small.

Then there was Choza Akimichi, another man that was kind to him, and always fed him whenever he found the boy trying to hunt or forage. It was through him that he had learned what was good to eat out in the wilds, and what was poisonous. The man was large and round, and wore a never-failing smile on his face.

Then there was Tsume Inuzuka. He honestly didn't know what to think of her. She never fed him, or clothed him, but she always defended him whenever the villagers were giving him a hard time, and called him "Pup" whenever she found him. She did compliment him on surviving on his own at such a young age, saying that it showed that he was tough, and stronger than most of the children in the village. He liked that.

Next came Inoichi of the Yamanaka clan, who Naruto didn't know. But he knew his daughter well enough to avoid her. She was slightly scary when she was angry. And then there were two dark-haired men, one of which Naruto didn't know at all, and the last member, Hiashi Hyuga, of the Hyuga clan. Naruto had met Hyuga's before, and he did not like them. They even treated some of their own family like dirt from what he could see when they moved through the village. But when he looked at the pale man, and then at his friend, he couldn't help but see the similarities between them.

The elders in attendance always gave Naruto a wide berth whenever he met them in the village, avoiding him like everyone else.

Hiruzen, seeing that all that were needed were in attendance, spoke up, "I'm sure you've all been told of why I've called this meeting this morning," he said, keeping his voice level, "Last night, while I was out with young Naruto, here, this little girl stumbled in his camp." He said, gesturing to the two children, both of whom were dressed in fresh clothing fit for winter. They both wore down jackets, orange and pink respectively, while the little girl wore a yellow scarf and woolen cap.

"As you can also see, her features match that of the Hyuga, but she is obviously not of your clan, Lord Hiashi," Hiruzen continued as the man in question gazed at the girl coldly, causing her to partially hide herself behind the young blond, who also stepped in front of her protectively. He didn't like the way everyone was looking at her.

"Does she have the Byakugan," a bandaged man asked, "Or is she blind? Those eyes resemble the clan more than anything."

"Hiashi?" Hiruzen asked, prompting the man activate his own Byakugan, glaring at the girl coldly. However, seeing the Doujutsu active prompted a surprising reaction out of the girl. Bar hiding behind Naruto, the frightened child, upon seeing the Kekkei Genkai, bolted and hid under Hiruzen's desk, covering her head and screwing her eyes shut. This surprised all present as Hiruzen tried to coax the girl back out. "Well, I can say for certain that she's frightened of Byakugan users," the old man said as he reappeared with the shivering girl in his arms, her face buried in his shoulder, "There now, child, he won't hurt you."

"She does have a Byakugan," Hiashi said, deactivating the Doujutsu, "She also has a massive amount of chakra inside her body for one so small. I would compare her to an Uzumaki pure-blood if that's permissible?"

"It is," the man said, seeing the look of curiosity on young Naruto's face, "As Naruto is a half-blood, how does her chakra compare to his?"

Hiashi again activated his eyes' power, looking between the two children, his face becoming strained, "Both of their chakra is...blinding to say the least," he said, letting the power fade once again, a sigh of relief coming from the man, "Comparing them side by side is like looking at a pair of suns in the sky. A blazing inferno of raw untapped power that I've not seen since...well, you all know what I speak of?"

"We do," said Shikaku, sighing lazily, "But why is the girl so frightened when she sees a Byakugan? Was she injured by a Hyuga or something?"

"And why won't she speak for herself?" Koharu asked, "Surely she's old enough?"

Naruto frowned at the woman, "She can't talk, okay?" The boy growled crossing his arms, "Someone hurt her, and now she can't even tell us her name."

"Easy, Naruto," Hiruzen chuckled before Koharu could admonish the boy, "She was only worried for the girl, as we all are, of course." He said, looking down at the girl in his arms, "Now dear," she looked up at him, "Were you hurt by someone that had the same eyes as Hiashi over there?" He asked, pointing at the clan head of the Hyuga, who tried to look a little less frightening to the child by smiling. He didn't succeed as the girl immediately hid her face again.

"You're not winning any popularity contests, are ya, Hiashi?" Tsume snarked, grinning at the man.

"We will take her reaction as a yes," Hiruzen sighed, frowning, "Though I'm not sure how that could happen. There are very few outside of the Hyuga clan that have the Byakugan, and those that do have pilfered the Doujutsu from the bodies of slain Hyuga, and transplanted them."

"Those are not transplanted Byakugan," Hiashi frowned, "If they were, then there were be a notable draw on her chakra. As there is no such thing, I can assure everyone that she was indeed born with those eyes."

"Which begs the question;" said the bandaged man again, "Where did she come from, and is there another clan out there that possesses the Doujutsu naturally?"

Hiruzen sighed and placed the girl back on the floor with Naruto, who took the frightened child by the hand, "That remains to be seen," he said, frowning in thought, "From what I was told by the medical shinobi that examined her, her throat had been crushed to the point that she believe that someone had been trying to kill her. It was is an old injury, thus I am led to believe she wandered from a very long way off. She is quite malnourished and in need of great care to restore her body to a healthy state. Even now her chakra seems to be trying to repair the damage down to her throat so that she can speak again."

"What's to be done with her, then?" Inoichi asked, frowning at the thought of someone harming the little girl, "Are you placing her in foster care?"

"I would be glad to take the child in," Hiashi informed them, noting that the girl was still afraid of him, "she'll lack for nothing in my clan."

"Before, or after those stuck-up elders of your place that damnable seal on her?" Tsume snarled, pointing a clawed finger at the man, "Face it, Hiashi, your clan is nothing but a bunch of slavers! Once they find out she has a Byakugan, and a large amount of chakra, she's as good as sealed, and enslaved!"

"She's not a Hyuga, so I would never allow - !"

"The hell you wouldn't!" Tsume roared.

"I will take her," the bandaged man volunteered, "Chakra such as hers needs to be nurtured and controlled so that she may become an asset to the village. My training program would see her made into a fine kunoichi."

"Absolutely... _not_!" Tsume snapped. "I've seen the youngsters you've trained, and they're nothing but mindless dolls!"

Before an argument could break out between the trio, Choza spoke up, "I do not think any of us have the right to make this decision," the rotund man sighed loudly, "Ultimately, we must look at the facts," he pointed to the children, "We have yet to discuss young Naruto, whom I believe will be placed in the same care as whoever is willing to take the little girl. Thus, neither will go to you, Lord Danzo, I'm sorry to say." The man in question growled, "And Hiashi, I doubt it's a good idea for a traumatized child that fears the Byakugan to be placed in a holding that is full of such people. It would be a nightmare for her, and she may react violently, which may prove fatal given how much chakra you say she has. Also, she seems attached to little Naruto, whether we like it or not. It's a package deal. I know for a fact that you and your clan view the boy in contempt, and sometimes act cruelly to the poor boy."

"I've done nothing to the boy," the man huffed.

"And you've done nothing for him, either." Tsume pointed out, frowning, "I've at least defended him. Your clan goes out of its way to avoid him at all costs!"

Hiruzen nodded, "All very good points, and fine foresight from Choza," he said, confirming the man's suspicions, "Fugaku Uchiha, you've been surprisingly quiet. What have you to say about any of this?"

The dark-haired man Naruto noticed earlier frowned, his fingers laced together, "what good would anything I have to say do?" The man asked coldly, "This entire village is suspicious of my clan thanks to the incident a few years ago when Lord Fourth took care of the Nine-Tails." He said, casting a small glance at the blond child, "I know that you will not place her in my care."

"No, not yours, per se," the chuckled, making the two children look at him as he motioned for one of the masked guards, "Please, send him in."

"At once, Lord Third," the man said, hastening to the door.

"Hiruzen, I hope that you are not planning to - " Danzo began, but was silenced by the door opening, revealing a younger dark-haired man, "You must be joking!"

Ignoring the man's outburst, the younger man stepped into the room with a slight confidence in his presence, "You summoned me, Lord Hokage?"

"Indeed I did," the elder smiled, "Thank you for coming, Shisui." He said, "I have not informed you of this, but in coming here, I have a mission for you. A long term mission as it happens."

Shisui bowed his head, "Whatever you need, I shall do it."

"Become these children's caretaker," Hiruzen ordered.

Shisui nodded, "It shall be...what?"

Hiruzen chuckled at the dumbfounded look on the boy's face, "I believe you heard me correctly, my young friend." He said, smiling, "Among the Uchiha, you are a prodigy if Fugaku will agree to your skills?"

"He is indeed skilled," Fugaku said, smiling slightly as he figured out what was going on, "His mastery of the Body Flicker technique has earned him as much fear as our late Lord Fourth, who was deadlier on the battler field with his Flying Thunder God."

"Then taking care of two children will be a piece of cake, hm?" The Hokage chuckled as the young man gaped, "Now Shisui, at the age of sixteen, you are well within your strengths to care for these two," he said, gesturing to Naruto and the little girl, "Both of them have had a hard life up to this point, and while I would love to care for them myself, being the Hokage is often a day and night job, and I do not wish to feel as though I am pawning them off on the rest of my clan."

"But why me?!" Shisui blurted out, "I've not experience with children!"

"You befriended my son when he was five, did you not?" Fugaku smiled, "And you both deal with his little brother since he's always pestering Itachi to play with him. These two need your sort of care, Shisui. You aren't like the rest of our clan. And this could prove our innocence to the village. Please, if not for the clan, then for the children."

"You will be paid, of course, and I will also be taking care of any expenses for the children, clothing, food, etc." Hiruzen smiled, "They will be entering the Academy soon, this next year if things work out. And since the little girl has a Doujutsu, but is terrified of the Byakugan, you, as a Sharingan bearer have knowledge of the workings of the eye techniques."

"Yes, but I know nothing of the Byakugan," the young man protested, then shook his head, "Forgive me, I am willing, but I feel that you should choose someone else."

"My decision is final," Hiruzen sighed, "I have taken the liberty of purchasing a few things the children will need and have had them sent to your home. With your father's passing this last year, your home is quite empty. These two may be the light your little home needs."

Naruto looked up at the man, "Couldn't we stay with you, Gramps?"

Hiruzen chuckled, "I'd like that, but as I said, my job as the Hokage keeps me far too busy. And Shisui here is a fine young man. I bet anything that he could teach you how to be a shinobi better than an Academy instructor could."

"Really?" Naruto beamed.

' _He's easy to please,_ ' Shisui smiled a little, his concern focused more on the little girl that was hiding behind me. "What's the little girl's name?"

"We don't know," the Hokage said, frowning, "She can't speak at the moment, so finding out her name is...difficult."

Inoichi spoke up, "I could do a mind walk, and find out a few things?"

Hiruzen shook his head, "I believe that to be a bad idea, as much as it may help, it may also cause just as much harm to the poor thing," he said, "Do not forget that she has been through quite a lot."

(*)

Not long after Shisui was put in charge of Naruto and his little friend, the meeting fell apart, and the newly minted 'family' was allowed to leave. Shisui, however, was still unsure of how to care for the two children. He had plenty of experience with Sasuke, but that was only because he had Itachi's help, but these two...

Naruto was wary of him, that much was certain, even though the promise of training had caught the boy's attention, that didn't mean he trusted the teen that was now taking care of them.

The little girl was another story.

Certainly she was a little cutie, and would surely grow into a beauty with time, but she was more distrustful of him than even Naruto was, whom she clung to. She seemed to jump at the slightest shadow, and kept herself well away from people as they walked the streets of the village toward the Uchiha compound. Luckily for them, the Uchiha's home was well outside of the village. It was almost another village entirely. Shisui's own home was secluded and quiet , which meant that she could grow up without much bother, or fear of other people.

But the young man had much more on his mind that his two new charges.

Trouble was brewing within his clan, and there was the threat of civil war on the horizon if things didn't improve. Hopefully, however, with his care to these two young ones, the Uchiha would fall back into place with the village without the need for his plan.

"Hey, mister," Naruto called out from behind him, causing him to look down at them, "Kaguya's getting tired. Are we almost there?" He said, gesturing to the girl, who, indeed, looked tired. Hungry, too.

"Kaguya?" Shisui questioned. "How do you know her name's Kaguya if she can't talk?"

Naruto blinked for a moment, then shrugged, holding up their joined hands, "I don't know. It's just when we're touching, I can sort'a hear her voice in my head."

Shisui was slightly surprised by this, "Really?" He said, and knelt in front of them, looking at the girl, "Kaguya? Is this true?"

The little girl blushed slightly and nodded. Shisui held out his right hand to her, "Would you mind showing me?"

Shyly, the little girl reached out her left hand, placing it gently in his own.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then -

" _You won't hurt me, will you?_ " It was a small, soft voice, so soft that it was almost like a whisper that he nearly didn't catch it. But it was undoubtedly the little girl, Kaguya, speaking to him.

Shisui smiled at her, and reached up to pat her on the head, making her flinch for but a moment before accepting the touch, "I will never, ever harm either one of you, of that you have my word." He smiled, taking her hand again, "Will you tell me...who hurt you?"

Kaguya frowned, looking heartbroken, " _Papa._ "

Shisui scowled as did Naruto, who still had a hold of her other hand, "You own father tried to hurt you?" Kaguya nodded. "Why?"

" _I don't know why,_ " the little girl said, " _But everyone was angry. They called me a monster. Papa chased me out of the house and put his hand around my neck._ " She started choking, her eyes brimming with tears, " _I screamed. And Papa wasn't there anymore._ "

"Not there?" Shisui pressed, cocking his head, "What do you mean?"

Naruto frowned at him, "Hey, she doesn't wanna talk about it anymore, okay?" The boy said, looking upset, "Just leave her alone!"

Shisui sighed, seeing that the boy was right, "I'm sorry." He said, "I just want to protect you now. So I need to know if someone else might come after her, okay?"

" _I don't know that either,_ " the girl shook her head, " _I just don't wanna go back there again._ "

Shisui smiled and picked both children up, "You won't, I'll make sure of that," he said, "Now, let's go get something to eat!" He grinned as the two children beamed, "I'll bet you've never had the famous Akimichi barbecue, huh?"

(*)

Hiruzen sat in his office that evening, the usual mountain of paperwork on his desk. His pipe was a welcome comfort from the day's work, the subject of the two children weighing heavy on his mind. The fact that his advisors had descended on him like a trio of vultures after the meeting had not surprised him, but his decision withstood their badgering.

Naruto was sure to be happy under Shisui's watch. And perhaps so would the little girl, Kaguya. He was happy to learn through his scrying crystal that the girl did have a way to communicate until her voice recovered. He would have to ask Shisui if he had learned anything from her at a later date.

He took a long satisfying drag from his pipe, letting the smoke drift out in a long sigh, and smiled, "You may as well come out." The man said, smiling, "You hide well, but I am not so old that I cannot sense your presence."

The air in front of his desk rippled for a moment before a tall figure stepped into the room, seemingly out of thin air. He was pale, with long, grey-ish hair, and, surprisingly, had horns atop his head, and his eyes...were that of the Byakugan.

"You are indeed a perceptive human to have noticed me when I was hiding myself even from those that guard you," the man spoke, his voice smooth, yet aged.

"It was for that reason that I chose to send them away," Hiruzen said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk, "Please, have a seat. I feel that you have much to say, and such words are better spoken in comfort."

"Indeed, but I must refuse your hospitality, for I believe you know why I have come."

"Kaguya," the Kage sighed, taking another long drag, "Was it you that tried to kill her?"

The man shook his head, "No, it was not I. Nor was it any member of my...clan, I suppose you could call it." He said, "The little one came from the ice realm in which part of my kin reside, or used to. A great tragedy struck them when that child was born."

"How could the birth of a child herald a tragedy?" Hiruzen wondered.

"Simple, she is far too powerful for a member of our race." He said, gesturing to himself, "Indeed, part of us are human, and others are hybrids, such as myself. Kaguya was born a human, pure and untainted by the Otsutsuki blood, save for her Byakugan, and other powers. She has no horns. Her bones are not weapons. Yet, her strength is greater than that of any of our clans through our realms."

"So you chose to kill her rather nurture her," Hiruzen frowned, shaking his head, "That is the thinking of a coward. Instead of a pariah, you could have had a messiah, but you cast her out."

"Power such as hers does not belong in a mortal body," the stranger said, "The last time something like her came about, it nearly destroyed this world because such power corrupts the mind as it does the soul. Leave that child to live and grow, and she will destroy everything this world has to offer."

Hiruzen sighed, "I am sorry to say that I am not in the business of killing an innocent child." He said, frowning, "Still, I will take your words, and hold them in my heart. If the girl appears to be turning into a threat, then I shall act, whether or not it costs the girl her life will depend solely on her. Do you find that agreeable?"

"She has been cast out of her mother realm, so she is no longer of their concern, and she has not entered my realm of fire, so she will not concern myself, or my clan," the man said, nodding, "But be warned, if she crosses into any of our realms, the Otsutsuki clan that rules over said realm will not hesitate to kill her, or anyone with her."

"I do not know how she could cross into another realm as you seem to have," Hiruzen said, "But I shall warn her against it."

"One other thing," the man said, "Should she ever develop a third eye," he pointed to the middle of his forehead, "even I shall have no choice but to act. It is not a great possibility, but there is a small chance that it shall happen. She will die if it does."

Hiruzen was quiet for a moment, but nodded, "Know that if you attack one of my shinobi unprovoked, I do not care who you are...I will fight you with all that I am. For every man, woman and child in this village...is my own child in these old eyes of mine."

The Otsutsuki man nodded, "You are a good leader." the man began to fade, "Farewell, and may your people prosper...and may that child grow without the need of her death."

As the man faded away, Hiruzen sighed, turning his chair toward the window. "A great tragedy...or perhaps something more," he sighed, lifting his pipe up to his lips, "Otsutsuki...I never thought I'd hear that name mentioned in this walls." He blew out a smoke ring, smiling, "It is time. Jiraiya must return to the village soon...and the children will need to learn to defend themselves to weather this coming storm."

He rose and went over to his scrying crystal, "Show me the children."

The crystal shimmered for a moment, and showed him a vision of the two little ones. Shisui was with them, laughing and smiling as he showed Kaguya how to use her chopsticks while Naruto was stuffing his face. They looked like a real family.

"If gods or goddesses truly exist," he sighed quietly, "Please let these children grow in peace."

* * *

 _ **A warning given.**_

 _ **Please leave a review if you liked the chapter.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Previously:**_ _Given into the care of Shisui Uchiha, the two children have found a makeshift family in the young Jounin of the Leaf. The girl, Kaguya, reveals a strange gift to the young man in a form of telepathy as she recounts how she came to be within the Leaf. And Hiruzen is visited by a being from the little girl's clan, and presented a warning: kill the child, or suffer a great tragedy._

 ** _Part One: Childhood_**

 ** _3: Threat_**

* * *

Shisui and a clone of his making carried to two children into their new home, both of them sleeping off a large meal. Shisui didn't mind it, though. It had been fun spending time with the little ones. Kaguya was already starting to look healthier than she had a few hours ago when he met her.

His home, now that he was on his own, was too large for him. Thinking about marriage as young as he was had been a little daunting, but now that he had Naruto and Kaguya it appeared that the overly spacious home would be just right.

When he reached the home it was to find a member of the Sarutobi clan waiting for him. It was an elderly woman, her hair graying, and her skin wrinkled. She gave a short bow to him as he and his charges approached. "Good evening, Shisui," she said in greeting, "My name is Kimi Sarutobi, one of Lord Hiruzen's attendants. I've brought over the things he requested for the children."

"Thank you," the young man smiled, and noticed that she was holding a small stuffed toy, "Is that for one of the kids?"

She nodded, looking his clone, who was carrying Kaguya. "She took a liking to this while under our care," she said, passing it to the clone, "I thought that she might like to have it since she has come to us with nothing."

"You're very kind to do that," Shisui said, smiling, "I'm sorry for taking her from you so soon."

Kimi shook her head, smiling at the young man, "Not at all." She said, reaching out to stroke the little girl's hair, "But do please look after her for us. She's become quite dear to my friends and I."

"I'll look after them both," the boy said, nodding, "I'd better get them to bed now."

Kimi opened the door for him, "Allow me to help you," she said, allowing him to step inside while she took Kaguya from his Shadow Clone's back, cradling her gently. The clone went about checking through the boxes set inside the house for the kids. "The beds have already been set up, and readied for them to sleep in."

"Good, they could use it after the day they've had." He said, smiling as he thought back on the day he had spent with them. After eating, he had watched them play in the park for the rest of the day, exhausting themselves thoroughly as thy played with other children unafraid of the blond Jinchuuriki.

Naruto had had the time of his life in those few short hours. Shisui had seen him around the village on days when he would watch him as an Anbu. He hated how the village treated the boy, even though he was only allowed to act if someone wanted to harm the child. Doing so only rubbed salt in his wounds as he watched the boy. No one dared to touch him, but seeing the boy get ignored was far more damaging to both of them as the boy craved attention more than anything.

"Lord Hiruzen told that you will be training them as well as taking care of them," she said as she tucked the little girl into bed, placing the little toy in her arms, "Do you think that she's strong enough to handle it?"

Shisui frowned while tucked the sleeping Naruto into bed. "I won't drive them into the ground," he promised her, "Until they hit their second year of Academy, I'll only be teaching them basic chakra control. The gods and the spirits all know that two children with such enormous chakra reserves are going to need that sort of training."

Kimi smiled in relief, "I'm glad to hear that," she sighed, looking down at the little girl, "She's so frail and small right now that I doubt that she could survive something like physical training. Jutsu training should come much later as well."

Shisui frowned. ' _Is she that worried about me training the girl, then I'd better not lay out my entire plan._ ' He sighed, ' _Ultimately, its the kids themselves that decide if they want to train in something more advanced or not._ ' He looked down at Naruto, snoozing away without a care in the world, ' _And training Naruto will most likely raise the hackles of the elders. Danzo's already on my clan's case, so I'll have to be extra careful._ '

"You seem troubled, Shisui," the woman said, frowning at the young man, "Are you worried?"

"I am," the young man sighed, but smiled, "But it's nothing that I can't handle. I just hope it never involves these children."

Kimi sighed and rose from where she knelt by Kaguya's side, "We both know that at least one of these little dears will be the cause of great change," she said, looking over at the blond Jinchuuriki, "One whose legacy has been hidden from the world will need to be strong if he is to rise above it all on his own." She said, looking back at the sleeping girl, "And one who has been cast aside will need a strong hand to hold onto if she is to grow into the kind young woman that I pray she will be."

Shisui looked at her, smiling, "Isn't it a little early to be playing matchmaker for these two?"

The woman giggled girlishly, "Perhaps, but then again, one can never know what the future may hold for two people."

Shisui rolled his eyes, "Who knows."

Kimi sighed, and moved to the door, "I'll take my leave now." She said, smiling, "Please, don't hesitate to let the Sarutobi clan know if you need something." She turned to him, "The Uchiha clan now has the support of the Sarutobi clan."

Shisui's head snapped around to the woman in shock.

Support...did that mean the Hokage knew of the dealing within his clan? ' _If he does, then that means he..._ ' The door to the room closed as Kimi excused herself. The boy frowned, and made sure the two children were both soundly asleep before leaving them to sleep.

His frown deepened the more he thought. ' _If Lord Third knows about Fugaku's plan for a coup, then why hasn't he acted?_ ' The young man wondered, pacing around his living room, ' _There are very few in the Uchiha clan that would oppose the plan, myself included. Itachi may even go against his father, and then there's that girl that has a crush on him...Izumi, right? Ugh!_ '

Thinking about such things made his head hurt.

Meanwhile...

The room where the two children slept was filled with the soft snores of the pair. Unknown to the two, they were no longer alone. A shimmering portal opened up in the room, and out stepped another being. he was paler than even little Kaguya, and had a single horn that curved around his forehead. But what was most different about him was the fact that instead of the Byakugan, the man had the Sharingan in both eyes, the tomoe spinning lazily.

"So," the man droned out in a bored tone, "this is the Rabbit's reincarnation?" He said, looking down at the little girl in contempt. He cocked his head frowning at the girl. "Strange. She's a strong one, but she's no where near as strong as the original."

He reached out a hand toward the girl.

As if sensing a threat the girl shivered as the mans fingers neared her throat, and sparks of Lightning lept from her skin, and shocked him. The man frowned as he withdrew his hand, the skin stinging. "Huh. Perceptive little shadow, aren't you?" He said, frowning at the charred flesh of his hand, "Still, whether you grow to become the shame of our clan as you once were is still out there, isn't it?" He looked down at her, the tomoe in his eyes fusing together into a floral pattern, "Perhaps I should just kill you now, shouldn't I?"

A flicker of motion caught his attention as a blade was pressed against his throat, "And just what makes you think I'll allow that?" Shisui asked, his voice dripping with venom, "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, "Depending on your answer, I may let you keep your tongue at least!"

"Oh, my, my, my," the pale Sharingan user said jovially, "I'm so frightened...is what I'd say if you actually posed a threat to me, boy." He said, turning his Mangekyou Sharingan on him. Shisui looked shocked as he saw his clan's Doujutsu in the man's eyes. "But you're one hundred years too early to challenge an Otsutsuki, you little Uchiha brat."

"Am I?" The young man growled, his eyes transforming into the Sharingan, before morphing into the his own Mangekyou.

The man grinned, "Well, now," he smiled, "Who did you have to kill to obtain that little upgrade, eh?"

Shisui scowled, "Not that it's any of your business, but these eyes are a reminder, and proof of the guilt I carry when I grew jealous of my friend and refused to help him, causing his death." He growled, shaking his head, "Now I'll ask again; who the hell are you, and what do you want with these children?!"

"Oh, how scary you are, little cousin," the man giggled, "Fine. I'll answer your petty little question. Quite simply, I want nothing to do with these children, since I am from the realm of forests, and this little witch is from the realm of ice."

' _What the hell's he talking about,_ ' the boy wondered, frowning, ' _Does he mean he came from another land?_ '

"And to answer your other question," his face dropped from his joking face to one of contempt, and disdain, "I don't see why I should share my name with a disgusting little insect like you in the first place."

Shisui pressed the blade close to his throat, "You are in _my_ home, threatening _my_ charges," the young Uchiha growled, the four-pointed pinwheel of his eyes beginning to spin, "You don't have a choice."

The Otsutsuki frowned then, feeling the effects of a powerful Genjutsu being cast, one that was extremely hard for him to resist. "Hmm, I know that technique." He mumbled as it began to take effect, "Distinguished Heavenly Gods technique, or Kotoamatsukami. You're trying to place a mind-control jutsu over me, aren't you?"

"I would rather have answers than a mess to clean up in the children's room," the man said coldly, "But I'm warning you. Keep resisting, and there will be blood."

The stranger chuckled, "Very well, but you won't like the answers you receive."

"I don't care," Shisui hissed, "Now tell me; why are you so against that little girl!"

The Otsutsuki smiled, "Though she isn't quite as powerful as she once was, this girl is the reincarnation of the one your people once called the Rabbit Goddess," he explained, pointing down at the sleeping child, "She was once a Celestial Being such as myself, but sullied herself by mating with a human, producing two... _half-breeds_ ," he spat the word out in disgust, "In short, they turned on her, and sealed her away for all of eternity. But, since her body could not actually die, her soul wandered away from her body, and migrated into the little girl you see here."

Shisui looked down at the little girl, ' _She's...a goddess?_ '

"Fascinating, isn't it?" His prisoner said, grinning, "But that's not all that she is." He went on, "You see, under several certain circumstances, the original Kaguya Otsutsuki can be revived to wreak havoc across the world once again, and this little girl that possesses her soul just so happens to be one of many keys to do just that, and, through a happy little accident, so does that little boy behind you...or rather, the creature that's sealed inside him."

"You know about the Fox?" He asked, frowning.

"I know many things," the pale being smiled, "I can tell you that, if things had played out the same way on the other seed beds as they have hear, there would be dozens of your so-called Tailed Beasts, since they came from the same Chakra Tree whose fruits we Otsutsuki use to keep ourselves young and beautiful."

"Vain fool," the young Uchiha sneered, his eyes glowing, "Now leave this place, and never return!"

The Celestial Being raised one of his hands and opened up a small portal in front of him as Shisui released him. As he began to step through, he turned with one last smile, "Just to let you know," he smiled, "I will be back. You've...intrigued me, little Uchiha. To think that a mere mortal has the same power a god...very interesting indeed. Perhaps you will alleviate my boredom someday soon."

As the man disappeared, Shisui sank to his knees, feeling drained. ' _He resisted my Genjutsu..._ ' he felt himself shaking, ' _And he was able to detect it! How is that even possible!?_ ' He covered his face, frowning. He then looked up at the two children, none the wiser to their visitor or the danger that had been present. ' _These two...one a Jinchuuriki, and the other a goddess in human form..._ '

It was all too much to take.

So much was happening all at once that it was making his head spin around like a child's spindle top. He had just become a substitute father to for two little powerhouses, all the while worrying about his clan's plan to stage a coup if things didn't improve for them, and soon. And he had just met a being that claimed to be a god of all things!

"I need to tell the Hokage," He rose, and opened the door -

"Tell me what?" Hiruzen asked.

"HELL!" Shisui shouted, stumbling back into the room with a loud thud as he fell on his backside in surprise. The noise had finally woken the two children. Naruto looked like he wanted to go right back to sleep, but upon seeing the Hokage, the boy came right awake, and bounded out of bed.

"Gramps!"

Kaguya did much the same as she and the blond bundle hugged the man.

The Hokage chuckled, "I'm glad to see you both as well, children," he smiled, patting them both on the heads, "Did you have fun with Shisui today?"

"Yeah!"

" _It was a lot of fun!_ " Kaguya told the man as she took hold of his hand. Then she blushed, remembering that she hadn't told him about her ability.

Hiruzen smiled at the girl, "It's alright, Little Kaguya," she looked up at him in surprise at the use of her name; she hadn't told him that, either. "I was watching the three of you the entire day to make sure nothing happened." He said, touching the side of his nose in a knowing fashion, "You see, that's what a "Gramps" usually does for his grandchildren. Even when you can't see me, I'll always be watching over you." He tapped her on the tip of her nose, making her giggle silently.

"Uh, you were watching the _whole_ time?" Shisui asked, hoping that the man had seen the earlier confrontation.

Hiruzen nodded, "Indeed I was, and I know what happened." He said, and smiled back down at the children, "Now, you two get back into bed. Shisui and I need to have a small chat, and you two will need your rest for training in the morning."

The children agreed, albeit reluctantly, and returned to bed while the two shinobi moved into the living room. "Tell me what happened." The aging Hokage said, "I know that you had a visitor of your own this evening." He looked at the boy seeing shock written all over his face.

"You mean you had one, too?" Shisui asked. "Are you alright?!"

Hiruzen nodded, "The one that visited me was not openly hostile as yours seemed to be, though I'm certainly glad that he didn't try to harm you, or the children." He frowned, "I wasn't able to see much of him in my crystal, but I know that he, unlike the one that visited me, or little Kaguya, has the Sharingan. What did he tell you?"

Shisui shook his head, and began to relay to the Hokage what the Celestial Being had told him about the little girl in his care. The old man listened intently. It was the same as the warning that he had received from his own visitor, only with more detail about the girl. He had heard tales of the fabled Rabbit Goddess that had battled against the Sage of Six Paths. If the girl was indeed linked to her as they had been warned, then their fears were slightly just. But he still had no intentions of harming the child out of fear.

"Lucky for the children that he seemed more interested in me than Kaguya," Shisui frowned, scrubbing his hands through his hair, "And that doesn't make me feel any better. If he comes back, there's no doubt he'll be looking for a fight, and I'm not sure I'm strong enough to take him on." He sighed, "He didn't seem threatened by me at all when I held my tanto to his throat."

Hiruzen nodded, "These Otsutsuki, as they call themselves, seem to be far more formidable than we could imagine." The man sighed, "But, Kaguya seems to be the key. If we raise her with the love and care that she needs, I have no doubt that she will someday save us all, and not just the Leaf Village." He sighed, wishing he had his pipe on him, "Something about the attack on the village seven years ago tells me that whoever unleashed the Fox had an idea about how to control it, and we both know that there's only one thing that can control a Tailed Beast, don't we Shisui?"

"A Sharingan," the young man admitted shamefully, "And you obviously know about Fugaku's plans if things don't improve?"

"I do," the man said, sighing,"Which is why I have left Naruto in your care." He said, "It not only shows that I have complete and utter faith in your clan, but also trust them with every fiber of my being with the village's greatest treasures. Naruto will need training, and when he enters Academy, I have no doubt that he will be sabotaged by his instructors, and rather than have him fail and look like a fool, I trust you to make sure that he is able to do his best. The same can be said of Kaguya. He odd appearance, and massive chakra reserves will set her apart from the other children, and both of them will have trouble with techniques that require very little chakra."

Shisui nodded. He knew that both of the children would have trouble with simple jutsu, most likely overcharging them with chakra, resulting in either a more powerful technique, or a backlash onto the caster. And Kaguya's voice was still healing. Not that she needed it to cast a jutsu, but speaking through touch or sing language would be difficult. He only knew a few signs, and Kaguya having to touch others so that she could speak to them would most likely not go over very well.

"I'll start their training in the morning, as you said," the young man sighed, looking at him with a resolve that he hadn't known he had until meeting the Otsutsuki. "And I will stop my clan from trying to take control of the village."

"Do nothing on that part as of yet," the Hokage said, holding up his hand, "It is the job of the Hokage to address a problem such as this. Not the job of a new father."

"But I can - "

"I will speak with Fugaku myself, and assure him of his clan's status within the village," the man said, speaking as the Hokage once more, "I also suspect that Danzo may try to do something as well. I will not allow him to act on his own again as he did with Orochimaru. I only ask that you protect those two children. That is your one and only task."

Shisui nodded, "I will do what you ask, Lord Hokage."

(*)

Morning came all too soon for Shisui as he had gotten very little sleep the previous evening after his conversations with the strange being and the Hokage. But a promise was a promise...and he was having a blast watching the children literally running through their first lesson: Tree Climbing.

"You're not putting enough chakra into it, kids," he told the two children as they slid down the trunks of their trees, "Remember, tree to form a sort of suction cup at the bottom of your foot, and then walk up the trunk. Take your time, too, there's no need to rush!" He shouted as Naruto took off again, and darted up the trunk.

He got about five feet up the trunk before his left foot came down on the bark, and caused a small explosion as he put too much chakra into the exercise, and sent him blasting off of the trunk. Having only just reached the trunk of her own tree, Kaguya quickly forgot about the lesson as she saw the blond Jinchuuriki go flying. When she turned on her heel to chase after him, her own chakra launched her from the ground, sending the poor girl sailing across the yard.

Luckily for both of them Shisui had two of his Shadow Clones running damage control. Naruto was caught as he came hurtling back toward the ground by the first clone, while Kaguya was safely caught by the second as he stepped into her flight path. The poor little girl looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Shisui smirked; now he knew why his former sensei had enjoyed watching him do this same exercise when he was a Genin.

"Put too much chakra into the exercise, and you're gonna keep doing that," Shisui's clone told the blond as he set him back on the ground.

"Try not to lose focus when you're charging your chakra like that, or else it runs wild." The second clone told Kaguya as she nodded, blushing madly.

They took it slow the next go round. Kaguya seemed to be in better control than Naruto did, and matched to slowly walk up to a low-hanging branch before she felt her chakra slip, and scrambled up the branch so she wouldn't fall.

Naruto on the other hand, went passed the safety zone, and did his best to get higher than the girl. He succeeded...however...

"YEEEEOOOOW!"

Shisui, Kaguya, and the clones winced as Naruto came tumbling down the tree once again, and landed on his head. Kaguya slid down from her perch and hurried over to the blond, taking hold of his hand.

" _Are you okay, Naruto?_ " The girl asked fearfully.

Naruto groaned and sat up, rubbing a knot that was already forming on his head, "I'm alright, Kaguya," he grinned, despite the pain, "I've had worse, ya know?"

Kaguya grinned right back at him and rubbed the knot that was forming, making the pain immediately recede. " _Does that feel better?_ "

Naruto nodded, "Yeah! Wow, I didn't know you could do that!"

Kaguya shrugged, " _Me neither._ " She said, sticking her tongue out.

Shisui chuckled at their antics, "Alright you two, that's enough for now," he called out, "It's time for breakfast!"

(*)

Fugaku sat in front of the Hokage, stunned at what he had heard from the man, "This...this is a little far-fetched, Lord Third...but the girl is...she's that important?" The man asked, frowning.

"She is," Hiruzen sighed, "And while I don't think we will have to worry about any attacks from her kinsmen in the near future, we need to be careful of her powers." He said, sighing, "Which means I am entrusting you with not only our Jinchuuriki, but someone that could be equally dangerous if she fell into the wrong hands." He reached into his desk, and pulled out a few pieces of paper, "These documents are terms of legal guardianship of Kaguya Otsutsuki until she reaches the rank of Genin, where she, along with any of the graduates, will be considered an adult. I would normally have the same documents written up for Naruto, but he already has a legal guardian."

Fugaku readily signed the documents, cementing the child's position within the safety of his clan, "Are we to expect compensation?"

"Indeed," the Hokage said, "If it is agreeable, I would further fund your police force within the village, and have extra members inducted from other clans if you deem them good enough. Mostly just Genin that have been broken from their teams after one has made Chunin, or has dropped from the program, you understand, but you are within your rights to ask any of the clans to aid your forces if you are in need."

Fugaku frowned at this, "Man clan's treatment since the Nine Tails' attack has made them distrustful of many in the village." He relented, "Sometimes I sympathize with young Naruto when he is ignored or whispered about behind his back. My clan has the same treatment."

"Civilians love to gossip," the man sighed as he took out his pipe and stuffed it with tobacco, "That will never change no matter who it is. But the shinobi clans will recognize that you are doing more for this village than simple bringing in a revenue from missions taken. Don't forget that we of the Leaf have two coveted Doujutsu, which the Cloud Village jealously desires. Which reminds me, an envoy from the Cloud, their Jounin commander, I believe, is coming in hopes of writing up a peace treaty with us."

Fugakua scoffed, crossing his arms, "Feh, that'll be the day!"

"My thoughts exactly," Hiruzen nodded, lighting up his pipe with the tip of his finger aflame, "I don't believe he will be foolish enough to try anything such as a kidnapping, but I would feel much better if you bolstered your ranks with a few Nara and Inuzuka clansmen. Killing him in the middle of a kidnapping may result in something we do not wish to come about. Kumo can be very shrewd when it comes to slithering out of trouble."

"Why not a few Hyuga?" He asked, curious as to why the clan was left out.

"Simple, it's because their Doujutsu, while it can see through walls and such, is only good for that alone, aside from their Taijutsu," he explained, "Yours, however is as good as the Nara's Shadow Paralysis. When casting a powerful Genjustu, your target is immobilized, instead of being outright killed by a blow from the Gentle Fist as a Hyuga would no doubt have no qualms about doing so. I want this man alive and well if he decides to take action in stealing a Sharingan child, or a Byakugan child. Which means, unfortunately, your clansmen may be vulnerable to his attack as well if he goes through with it."

"I think we can handle a single Cloud shinobi," Fugaku smiled, looking at the aged Hokage, "Thank you for this opportunity, Lord Third."

"Don't thank me," the man said solemnly, "your clan has been loyal to this village from the very beginning, and you do not deserve the ostracization that has been thrown upon you these last few years. We are still yet recovering from the Nine Tails' attack, and we do not need to be fighting amongst ourselves."

"When will this envoy be arriving?" Fugaku asked, wanting to be ready for the probable fight to come.

Hiruzen took an appreciative drag from his pipe, letting the smoke out through his nose, "He will arrive in one week, and stay for a month while we hash out the treaty with him. We meaning myself, and my advisors. When things are about to be finalized, I will meet with the heads of the clans to make certain that the treaty will benefit all of you as well after I have looked it over. If you all find it agreeable, the treaty will be signed at once, and the man will be sent back to the Raikage."

Fugaku sat back in thought for a moment, "Well, the Cloud Village is rather rich in chakra conducting metals. Perhaps you can arrange for trading with them?" He suggested, "After all, we do have a large amount of silk producing worms thanks to the Auburame clan...speaking of that, where was Shibi during the meeting yesterday?"

"Out on a collection mission," the Hokage sighed, "Apparently he and his kin found a hive of giant hornets they wished to cultivate."

Fugaku shivered, "Lovely...I hate hornets."

* * *

 _ **Training Begins.**_

 _ **Please leave a review if you liked the chapter.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Previously:**_ _As Naruto and Kaguya settle into their new home, a new threat appears in the form of another Otsutsuki from the forest realm. Undaunted, and intrigued by Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan which holds the power over the will of another, the being leaves, promising to return so that Shisui may alleviate the boredom he feels in life. Shaken by the visitor, Shisui begins his wards' training._

 ** _Part One: Childhood_**

 ** _4: Rinne Festival_**

* * *

A week had passed by the little makeshift family as Shisui continued the children's training. After such a time, both Naruto and Kaguya got the Tree Climbing exercise down, and moved on to Water Walking, much to Naruto's delight having been slightly obsessed after seeing Hiruzen do the same so easily. But that wasn't to say that either child took to it like a duck to water.

Being the winter months, the stream on which they trained had grown cold, which gave the pair extra incentive to get the exercise down so that they could move on. Kaguya got the worst of it, however, due to her frail body which was still recovering from her malnutrition. Naruto and Shisui had to rescue her more than once.

During one of their training days, the family was visited by Fugaku, and his sons to see how they were doing. "They're doing really well, aren't they," Itachi remarked to his friend, Sasuke sitting between them as he watched the two trainees. Kaguya looked frightened as her feet began to slowly sink below the frigid waters.

"They are," Fugaku agreed, "For being so young, and to have already begun chakra control training is quite something."

Shisui sighed as Naruto moved to help Kaguya stay afloat. "It won't be long until Naruto starts begging me to teach him a real jutsu." He frowned, "That kid's a ball of energy. Kaguya's more well-behaved than he is, though I think that's because of her past experiences leaving her timid."

Sasuke looked at his cousin, "Did something happen?"

Shisui chuckled and patted him on the head, "Nothing you need to worry about," he said, smiling, "How's your Fire Ball jutsu coming along?" He asked, noting that the boy's lips and cheeks were slightly burned.

Sasuke pouted a little, "I still can barely make a ball the size of a watermelon," he said, frowning at his lack of progress, "Itachi can do one way bigger than mine."

Itachi chuckled and patted his little brother on the head, "Don't worry, my impatient little brother, you'll get there, eventually," he said, much to Sasuke's ire.

Shisui grinned, "Did you ever see the pictures of Itachi when he tried using that jutsu for the first time?" He asked, making Itachi flush, "His whole face was burned and blistered up from practicing so much."

Fugaku chuckled as Sasuke and Shisui teased his oldest son, watching as Naruto and Kaguya tried to balance on the water better...before Kaguya gave a startled look as she fell into the water. Naruto quickly followed if only to haul her out of the stream. Shisui acted quickly as he darted out on the water when the two children resurfaced. He picked them up under his arms, and lept back to the shore.

The blond jinchuuriki seemed fine without being effected by the cold. Kaguya, however, was shivering violently. Shisui was quick to place a towel around her shoulders to dry her off while Naruto went about gathering firewood. The little Otsutsuki was soon huddled around a roaring little campfire, her teeth chattering madly.

"I think that's enough for today," Shisui sighed as they tried to warm the girl up. "But don't feel bad, Kaguya, you're doing really well."

Kaguya shakily started making hand signs, " _I not doing good._ " The girl signed, much to the confusion of Sasuke and his family. It was something that Shisui had begun teaching her during that week in order for her to communicate without having to touch others.

Though both children were only just learning, Naruto had picked it up just as quickly as the girl, and was able to understand her somewhat, "Ah, come on, Kaguya, you still beat me in Tree Climbing, ya know?" He smiled, "And we only just started this training. We'll both get it down in no time!"

" _Not helping._ " Kaguya signed.

Shisui shook his head, smiling at the pair of them, "You two are ridiculous," he chuckled, patting the little girl on her head, "Now, why don't you two go get dried off, and dressed," he grinned, "Don't forget, the Rinne Festival starts tonight."

Between the two children, Kaguya looked the most excited. Shisui had explained that the festival was a time of giving for most of the people of the Land of Fire. In her realm of Ice, there had been festivals, of course, but they weren't something one would cal enjoyable. For her people, festivals were more about honoring their ancestors, and such things.

Naruto, however, didn't look at all excited, and the young Uchiha knew exactly why. Last year the young man had watched a stall vendor throw a fox mask at the boy, telling him to get out. After that, the little blond had lost any sort of enthusiasm about the festival. ' _Not this time._ ' He thought as he led the two children toward the house.

He looked over his shoulder at Fugaku and his family, "We'll see you three later, right?"

Fugaku chuckled, "Of course," he said, motioning for his sons to follow, "We've never missed a festival." As the father and son trio left the small area Shisui lived in, Sasuke looked back over his shoulder at the house.

"Hey, Dad," the little boy asked, "Wasn't that girl Shisui was with a Hyuga?"

Fugaku chuckled, "No, Son," he said to the boy, "She's actually a member of a clan called the Otsutsuki. They are...a distant relative to the Hyuga."

"Then how come she's staying with Uncle Shisui?"

"Simple, it's because the elders of the Hyuga would most likely put a seal on the poor girl, and cause her a great deal of pain," the man said, frowning at the thought. Knowing the Hyuga as he did, he was certain that the elders would have gone behind Hiashi's back, and planted the seal on her against his wishes. And from what he had seen of her, the little girl wouldn't be able to survive the sealing process. Not without severe damage to her mental health. "So, she and Naruto are living with Shisui until they graduate from the academy."

Itachi looked at his father, "That reminds me, Father, don't you have an important meeting with the police forces this afternoon?"

Fugaku nodded, "I do, and thank you for the reminder, Itachi, I'd almost forgotten." He said.

It wouldn't do for him to be late to such an important meeting considering the envoy from the Hidden Cloud Village was due to arrive later that morning.

(*)

Noon: Hokage's Office

"I'm certainly glad you could see me on such short notice, Lord Hokage," the Cloud shinobi smiled thinly as he stood before the aging Kage whilst he smoked his pipe, "I was actually told that you were quite the busy man, and that I might have to wait until tomorrow to actually see you."

Hiruzen chuckled as the smoke around him swirled in rings, giving the man an almost mystic air about him. He was only the second oldest shinobi in the world, and rumored to be as powerful as he was back in his younger days alongside the First and Second Hokages. This was a man that had survived a war with his own village, hailed as the most powerful of all the five great shinobi villages as far as military might went. Certainly not a man to be trifled with.

"Think nothing of if, Master Raido," he said, smiling warmly, though below the surface the man was as wary of him as a rabbit would be of a wolf. "And it is fortunate that you arrived at this time of year. Our village's Rinne Festival is just about to begin this very evening. The streets will be alive with activity."

"I look forward to seeing it," the man said, smiling, "Now, as to the documents I've brought with me."

Hiruzen smiled as he looked down at the papers in front of him, "I will have to have my advisers in attendance when I look over these trade agreements. While I trust that your Raikage would never try to pull the wool over my eyes, it would be best if those who oversee our village tradesmen to see what there is on offer from your village. As for passing through the Land of Fire unmolested, the peace treaty will wait for a short time while you settle in. Two days from now, I would be glad to sign them. It is high time that our two villages put aside their differences, and sought peace."

The man bowed his head, "I am in agreement." He said, smiling, "So, shall I take my leave?"

"You may," Hiruzen smiled with nod of his head, "I trust that you will not need an escort to find your hotel?"

"I should be fine. My Lord Raikage spared no expense when booking my lodgings." Raido said, and left the office with Hiruzen looking after him.

His eyes narrowed, "Owl."

"Yes, My Lord," the disembodied voice of one of his guards said.

"Follow him," he ordered, "If he tries anything against one of the Hyuga, or Uchiha, then you are to arrest him. If he resists, you may use the necessary force needed to detain him, but do not kill him."

There was a shift in the air around the room, signifying his Anbu's movement. The Hokage laced his fingers together, "And now the wait begins."

(*)

The evening skies were lit up with lantern light as the Rinne Festival began. The sounds of laughter, and the smells wafting from the stalls were unlike anything seen by the young Otsutsuki girl as she darted here and there from stall to stall under the ever watchful eye of Shisui as he and Naruto walked side by side. The boy actually looked frightened for once as they walked along. "You know you can go enjoy yourself with Kaguya, right?" He said to the little boy, "I promise, nothing's gonna happen to you."

Naruto shook his head, "I don't wanna make the villagers mad," he said, looking up at the young man, "Last time I tried to have any fun around here, they all started yelling, and chased me off."

Shisui frowned, "Not this time," he assured the boy with a pat on his head, "But if it makes you feel any better, then stay right beside me. No one will dare harm you while I'm around," he said, and looked ahead of them to where Kaguya was wandering around, "Kaguya! Stay close to me, I don't wanna lose you in the crowd."

Kaguya ran back to him with a smile plastered on her face, and took hold of his hand, " _But there's so much to see!_ "

Shisui smiled right back at her as he patted her head, "And we'll see it all, I promise," he told the little girl a she beamed at him, a perpetual blush on her cheeks. "This festival will last a full seven days, little one, so there's plenty of time to see all that it has to offer."

Giggling silently, the little girl nodded, and took Naruto's hand, and held onto Shisui's putting herself between the two of them. It was a strange sight to behold for many of the people manning the stalls. The little blond they recognized, but dared not speak out against him when he was in such dangerous company. Shisui said nothing but polite words when addressing the vendors, however.

Kaguya ended up taking her first bite of what would soon become her favorite treat in the form of a candied apple. It was the first time Shisui had seen someone cry just from taking a bite of something like that. The stall vendor, an Akimichi, smiled at the child, and gave one to Naruto as well, giving a small wink toward their Uchiha guardian. Shisui nodded his thanks, giving the man a few extra gold pieces for his kindness.

"Haven't you ever had a candied apple before?" Naruto asked as he crunched into his own treat, savoring the taste.

Kaguya shook her head, " _We never had anything like this from where I came from,_ " the girl said through the contact between their hands. She finished the sweet treat in just a few large bites.

To Shisui's relief, most of the stalls seemed to be manned by respectable clansmen this year, ' _Probably Lord Third's doing,_ ' he thought happily as they stopped by ring toss. Kaguya took a liking to a stuffed panda bear she saw near the back. Of course, when she tried her luck at the game...

Shisui nearly laughed at way her cheeks were puffed out when all three of her rings fell far shorter than what was required. Naruto tried next, and managed to land one of his rings on a stuffed frog that had a peg stuck to its head for the ring to catch on. Kaguya wanted to try for the bear again. This time, however, Shisui gave it a try. Deciding to show off a bit, he used his knowledge and skill with shuriken to land all three rings on the panda.

Soon Kaguya was clutching her new toy, beaming up at the man with joy. " _Thank you._ " She signed at him.

"That's the little girl you were asked to take care of along with Naruto, right?" Asked the Inuzuka behind the ring toss counter, smiling, "If I were you, I'd steer clear of the mask stall, and the shooting game," he said in a low whisper, "They're still bitter over you-know-what."

"Many thanks, Kosoka," Shisui smiled, "What about food stalls?"

"Unless you have a love of roasted potatoes, then everything else should be fair game." Kosoka said, crossing his arms, "Honestly, though, how can they hate him when he looks like that?" He asked pointing to the children, who had wandered over to a gold fish scooping game. Naruto had a huge smile on his face that neither man had seen in a long, long time.

Shisui shook his head, "It's hard to forget those we lost those seven years ago," he sighed, frowning, "And it's also so damned easy to place blame where it never should have been placed. A little boy that doesn't know anything about that day other than what we're allowed to talk about, for example."

The Inuzuka frowned, scratching the back of his shaggy head. "I was just a kid myself when this all happened." He said, smiling as Kaguya tried her hand at the game, but not being quick enough to flip her wriggling target into the bowl, causing it to tear through the scoop. Naruto laughed at her failure, but was quickly silenced when the little imp of a girl used the same scoop to flip a small splash of water at him. "Looking at the kid now, I can't bring myself to hate him," he said as the blond chased after the girl.

Shisui smiled at that, "I appreciate it, Kosoka, really." He said, moving to follow the children, "It's nice to know that there are those that support him."

"Don't worry about - "

"GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE YA LITTLE RAT!"

Shisui whipped around sharply as his Sharingan flared to life, glowing with full force as he took off down the streets. He could already see what was going on, and where to two children had blundered off to. It was the mask stall, of course, and the man raging at them, or more precisely, the blond boy standing in front of the frightened little girl, was brandishing a broom handle at them.

"We didn't _do_ anything, so stop scaring Kaguya!" Naruto roared right back loud enough to gain the attention of anyone within earshot.

"I don't give a damn about that little brat!" The man roared, "If she's with you, then she's nothing but trouble!" He raised the broom handle, preparing to bring it down on them.

Shisui was beyond furious at this point, and loosed a shuriken at the man, landing it with a solid thunk just above where his hands rested on the handle. He gave a startled yelp as he dropped the makeshift weapon, falling back on his rump as Shisui appeared next to the children. "You _dare_ to try bringing harm to these children under _my_ watch?" He growled, his voice laced with a cold fury.

The man glared, "The brat's worth less than the _dirt_ on my sandals!" He roared, "You think I care if he's protected by an _Uchiha_?! That just means you'll take control of _it_!"

"Careful now," Kosoka said as he came up next to the furious Uchiha, "You know the laws, don't you?" He asked, a feral gleam in his slit-like eyes, "One more word and your head _will_ roll." He growled, showing off his pointed canine-like teeth, and claws, "And he has more than just the protection of the Uchiha. The Inuzuka stand with him."

"So do the Akimichi," said Choza Akimichi as he came up to the scene.

Naruto and Kaguya looked at the three shinobi with confusion, wondering what was going on as the three stared down the stall vendor.

"The Yamanaka will stand with them," said one of the fair-skinned mind readers.

The man was beyond furious at this point as members of each clan came forward in the defense of the two children, many of them angered by his treatment of the two children, both of them innocent in the eyes of those that knew of the boy's true purpose, and of the girl's plight.

"Damned shinobi, always sticking up for their own kind," the man growled, picking himself up, "You're all nothing but a bunch'a mercenaries for hire! Why -"

A hand reached out from behind him, grasping him by the top of his hand in an iron grip, "Why don't you just be quiet?" Growled a new voice as a man large man of six foot three appeared at his shoulder. His face was old and weathered by travel, and had two red lines under his eyes. His hair was a wild mane of white tied back behind his head and kept in place by a strange horned head-band with the word "Oil" inscribed on it in black ink, "As for your cruelty to these two children, one of them being my own grandchild," he said, looking down at the surprised blond as he spoke, "Well, I suppose your just out of luck...and out of time," he held up his free hand as the man began to struggle in his grip, making a single hand sign, "Toad Transformation!"

In a puff of smoke, the man was gone. In his place was the forlorn croaking of a fat brown toad. Stepping around the stall, the man smiled at the gathered shinobi, and then looked at Shisui. "I'm sorry for taking the spot light off of you like that, but that man had it coming ten times over." He said, looking down at the children that were now hiding behind the younger man, "And I quite owe you for taking care of him."

Shisui smiled at him, giving a short, respectful bow to the man, "It has been my pleasure, Master Jiraiya."

The now named Jiraiya nodded, and knelt down in front of the children, smiling at the young blond boy, "It's so good to finally meet you, Naruto," he said, making the boy's eyes widen.

"How do you know my name, mister?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "Well, I ought to know your name, kiddo, 'cause I'm the one that gave it to you." He smiled, but it soon turned to a frown, "Wait, you should've heard about me already. Haven't you gotten any of the letters I've been sending for the last three years? Or the birthday gifts?"

Naruto frowned at this, "I've never gotten anything for my birthday."

Jiraiya rose, looking calm, though Shisui knew otherwise. "How long have you been caring for him?"

"A week, give or take a day or two." Shisui chanced, slightly frightened of the man.

"And his life before then?" Jiraiya asked.

"Orphaned, I suppose," he said truthfully, "Lord Third took them both in at the same time and asked if I could be their guardian until they graduated academy."

Jiraiya nodded, "I see...then it seems my former sensei and I need to have a long talk concerning a promise he made to me back in the day," he said, and smiled down at the children once more, "So, Naruto, who's your little friend here?" He asked, smiling at the little girl that was hiding with him.

Naruto looked at the girl uncertainly, and took hold of her hand, and she smiled a little, "This is Kaguya. My first real friend."

(*)

Hiruzen sighed as he saw the coming of an enormous headache. Of course Jiraiya would see the boy before coming to him. He was quite prepared for the moment the door to his office burst open from a well placed kick from the Sannin.

Jiraiya looked at him with more fury than he thought possible for the normally jovial man. "I asked you one favor before leaving on my mission," he growled, stepping into the office as Hiruzen's Anbu guards appeared at his side, kunai and various weapons drawn. "Protect my grandson. Care for him. And what do I find seven years later?" He asked without needing an answer. "That he has survived on his own for three of those years after your damned orphanage turned him out into the cold. That he never received a single damned letter from me, even though I wrote to him when I knew he should have been able to read. That he never received a single birthday gift in all this time!" He roared, his voice amplified with chakra which cracked the windows behind the Hokage.

Hiruzen calmly raised his hand to ward off his guards, who slowly stepped away from the man, though they kept their blades in hand. "Naruto was turned out of the orphanage against my wishes," he said calmly, though there was guilt laced in his voice, "I gave him an apartment to live in, and gave him an allowance to pay for food, and his lodgings. But it seems that that was never enough." He said, looking up at his former student with sorrow, "As for the letters and the gifts, I had no knowledge of such a thing. Whatever you sent to him was either hidden from me, or never reached the village."

Jiraiya eyed his former teacher with contempt, "Whether that's true or not, you are to blame." The man said, shaking his head, "I put my trust in you, and you betrayed me."

"And I am ready to accept the consequences of my failures," the man said, frowning, "I only ask that you take the position of Hokage in my stead should I not survive your justice."

Jiraiya glared at the man, "Death is far to easy a punishment. As far as I'm concerned, you can let that guilt eat at you until you're nothing but a husk. As for my grandson, as I am his guardian, I can only assume that you can, and will find those letters, and gifts I sent to him. You have seven years to make up to him, as I do myself. The only thing that I've seen that you've done right for him is place him in the care of that young Uchiha boy. I feel I can trust him with his safety."

"I would not have placed him there otherwise," Hiruzen sighed, looking at the man, "I know I have done wrong by you, and the boy, but no longer will I continue as I have. Even when he was treated so horribly, he has grown up to be a kind boy, and generous to those around him. And he is a loyal friend to that little girl with him. Separate them, and I would not wish to be in your shoes."

"I am not as cruel as you are," the Sannin said. "Now, I believe you have some explaining to do, starting with Naruto's life up until this point. And you had better leave nothing out, or else. And then you can tell me about the little girl. And perhaps the reason you had me searching the land for someone wearing an orange mask and black cloak?"

Hiruzen nodded, "It will be better if you sit down, Jiraiya; this will take a while."

* * *

 _ **Jiraiya returns to the village, and finds Naruto has not lived the life he wanted for the child. With his return, and the presence of the Cloud's envoy, things become ever tense for the Shisui's little family.**_

 _ **Please leave a review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Previously:**_ _As the Rinne Festival begins, so does the visit of the Cloud Village's envoy. Under suspicion from the Hokage, the Jonin Commander, Raido, is tailed by a single Anbu in hopes of capturing him should he make a move against either the Hyuga clan, or the Uchiha clan for their Doujutsu. Meanwhile, Naruto and Kaguya's first festival is brought to a halt with the appearance of none other than one of the Sannin, claiming to be Naruto's grandfather._

 _ **Part One: Childhood**_

 _ **5: A Small Voice**_

* * *

Naruto lay awake in his bed that night after they had returned from the festival. Across from him, Kaguya lay curled up with her new stuffed toy, sound asleep. For the blond, the festival had been fun, of course, except for that one mishap at the mask stall.

' _I've got a grandfather?_ ' The boy wondered silently, ' _And he sent me letters and birthday presents?_ '

A mumble to his left made him look over at Kaguya as the little girl came awake. She saw him looking over at her and signed, " _What's wrong?_ "

The blond shrugged, "Can't sleep."

" _Why?_ " The girl signed to him, sitting up in bed, and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Just thinking about what that old man said to me," he said, making her look at him curiously, "About him being my grandpa, and all that."

Kaguya slipped out of bed and tip-toed over to his bed and sat on the edge, taking hold of his hand, " _Aren't you happy?_ " She asked through the contact, " _I mean, if it were me, I'd be happy to know that some of my family still wanted me._ "

Naruto sighed, gripping her tiny hand in his, "It's not that I'm not happy, but I always thought that my parents were dead, and not just them, all of my family," he said, frowning, "But this guy just comes out of nowhere, and tells me I'm his grandson?" He shook his head, "And that he's been sending me stuff for my birthday? And letters? Where were they?"

Kaguya frowned at this and sighed, " _Maybe someone didn't want you to know?_ " She said, looking down at her feet, " _I mean, there was something I wasn't supposed to know, and when my papa found out..._ " She trailed off, looking sad again. Naruto hated seeing her like that.

"I don't know," he said, trying to take her mind off of whatever she was thinking about, "All I know is that I lived on the streets for two years, and then a really beat up apartment for a little while, and there was no one around for me. 'Cept maybe Gramps, but he's busy being the Hokage and all that."

Kaguya smiled a little bit and laid down with him, snuggling up against him, " _I'm here, now, too._ " She sighed, closing her eyes, " _Hey, Naruto?_ " He looked down at her, " _Promise me we'll always be together, okay?_ "

Naruto smiled, and pulled the blanket over them, "Yeah, I promise," he told the girl as she fell back asleep, "Right here and now, I vow to never break a that promise."

(*)

Jiraiya stood with his arms crossed as Hiruzen finished telling him of Naruto's life up until that point in time, and about the little girl that now stood at his side. And of the looming threat of the Otsutsuki clan should the little girl develop as they feared.

"So you see, Jiraiya, the girl is quite possibly a greater threat than even the one that unleashed the Nine Tails seven years ago," the Hokage said, "I know that I sent you out on a wild goose chase to find that man, but now I have reason to believe that he was, and still is, an Uchiha that poses a threat to us for an unknown reason."

Jiraiya nodded, "As per your orders, I searched the Five Great Nations for rumors and whispers of this man," the Sannin said, his face still harboring anger for his sensei. "I don't know yet if they're connected, but the mercenary group near the Hidden Rain Village is known for wearing black cloaks with red cloak designs on them, but I've not seen or heard of a man wearing anything like the mask you described to me."

"I had thought that Lord Hanzo of the Salamander stomped them out," Hiruzen frowned.

"He did," Jiraiya said, from what I understand now, only a few of them now survive, and rule over the Hidden Rain." He said, "I don't know who's leading them right now, but he's rumored to be insanely powerful."

Hiruzen sighed, "As long as they do nothing to harm anyone from our village, then I will not worry about them," he said, "Back to the topic at hand. What will you do now that you know of Naruto?"

Jiraiya growled, "You know that I adopted Minato just after becoming his sensei, so what do you think?" He demanded, "In truth, I'd love nothing more than to put you and your advisors in the ground so deep you'd never see the light of the Pure Lands." He said, "I may still do it when I find out who was responsible for taking what little Naruto had and hiding it away from him."

"Do you intend to stay in the village?" Hiruzen asked.

"For a time," the man said, "But seeing Shisui with the children, do you really think that I've the heart to take one of them away from him?"

Hiruzen nodded knowingly, "He's already grown so attached to them that he feels like a father, as I had planned," the Kage said, smiling, "In the beginning, I thought it best to have the young man care for them to help with the Uchiha's relations with the rest of the village considering that they received unwarranted blame for the Nine Tails' assault on the village, considering all know that A Sharingan has the power to temporarily control a Tailed Beast. And now I have Fugaku bolstering his police forces with members outside the Uchiha clan."

"And the children are attached at the hip," Jiraiya noted as he recalled how the little girl had clung to the boy. "Separating them now would be just as cruel as casting them out into the streets again."

"And I agree," Hiruzen said, "In the mean time I have gone through the records of incoming mail for the passed seven years," he said, ruffling through a few papers on his desk, "While I haven't yet found who is responsible, I have found that the letters and gift you sent for Naruto are locked away in my vault, which narrows down my list of suspects immensely. Only four people have access to that vault, considering it is full of village secrets such as the Scroll of Seals."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, "And I know all of them."

"Please don't do anything just yet, Jiraiya," the man said, "I'm sure there was a - "

"Enough trying to see the good in that man," Jiraiya sneered. "How many times has he gone behind your back and done something horrible. He wiped out an entire clan! And let's not forget what he wanted to do with the Uchiha!"

"I'm well aware of his ideals," Hiruzen snapped angrily, "But...Danzo has never been the same since Lord First and Lord Second appointed me as the Third." He admitted, "And when he was maimed, things only got worse. And then the whole debacle with Orochimaru and Minato being candidates for Fourth Hokage..."

Jiraiya shook his head, "As he always says, Sensei, the roots of the village run deep, but I say when a root has begun to rot it's best to cut it off before it infects the whole village."

Hiruzen sighed, turning to look out over the village, "I understand your anger with him, but please, allow me to deal with this matter." He said, frowning, and looked back at the younger man, "You know that he fears you out of all my students, do you not? If you did indeed become Hokage, then he would be less inclined to interfere with the village affairs."

Jiraiya scowled at the man, "Get those gifts out your vault, else I might just rip it open myself." The man said, "And I have every intention of letting Naruto know about who his parents are. Try to stop me, and I'll give you the same treatment I gave the mask salesmen."

"You know I only did that because of Iwa," Hiruzen said as he moved toward the vault, "If they knew that Minato had a son - "

"Old Onoki already knows," Jiraiya said, "And he has no intention of harming the boy. What Minato did was an act of war, and no one on either side blames him for the lives he took. They did the same thing to us, and Uzu."

Nodding as he opened the vault, and entered it, the Hokage returned with several packages in tow, as well as envelopes. "Then, as his legal guardian, you may do as you wish."

Jiraiya nodded, taking the packages with care, and taking his leave of the office. Hiruzen sighed as the ordeal ended, and sank into his seat behind his desk. He took a small bottle of Sake from his desk drawer, and poured himself a drink to lighten his mood somewhat. He looked toward the door, sighing, "You once called me a good leader," he said, the space in front of him shimmering, "After hearing all of that, can you still say the same?"

Once again, the Otsutsuki from before appeared, "It never ceases to amaze me that you know that I am present when I hide myself from others," he smiled serenely, "And to answer your question, yes, I still stand by the words I said once before. You are, indeed, a good leader, if in only that you care so much about your people that you are willing to go to these lengths to protect them, even if it means that they may come to hate you in the end."

Hiruzen nodded, "In truth, I had intended for that little boy to know who his parents were from the beginning." He relented, "But hatred is a powerful thing, and still holds an iron grip on this world and its people. I feared that the hatred of the father may have passed to a hatred of the son."

The Celestial being nodded, "Quite an understandable woe," he said, sighing, "I must say, though, you've let the girl come into some interesting company. The Uchiha acting as her father will be interesting to say the least, but the little boy you've spoken of is...troubling."

Hiruzen frowned at the man, "Troubling how?" He asked, sipping his drink, "As far as I've seen, the girl is perfectly normal, and notably sweet." He said.

"It is not that they will harm each other, just that the boy is one of the keys to her awakening as the Rabbit Goddess." He explained, drawing a look of shock from the man, "You see, the original Kaguya held the Chakra of the original Tailed Beast, the Ten Tails, which was later split into the nine beasts you've come to know. Absorbing chakra from the beasts will provide the girl with the keys that will awaken her previous self."

"I see," Hiruzen frowned, "Then you believe I should separate the two?"

"No, she would have to consciously absorb the fox's chakra as well as the chakra from the others as well," the man said, "Absorbing chakra from the Nine Tails alone would only strengthen her physically, and add to her Byakugan's power, which will sooner or later evolve into the second stage."

"The Byakugan that I know of does not have a secondary stage," Hiruzen frowned, thinking of the Hyuga clan, "You're saying that it indeed has a mutated stage like the Sharingan and the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

"Indeed," the Otsutsuki said, "For my people, our Doujutsu have always had two stages. Though we do not have to go to such extremes to achieve them." He explained, "For the little girl, if she stays as she is, in around nine to ten years, her Byakugan will evolve into the Tenseigan, a far stronger Doujutsu then even the Mangekyou."

"And this third eye that you have mentioned?" Hiruzen questioned.

"That is a product of absorbing chakra from all nine of the Tailed Beasts, and as I said, may manifest itself earlier than that if the girl grows in power too quickly." He said, "There is one in this world that was born of Kaguya's will, and will stop at nothing to see its mother brought back into the world to finish what she started."

"And this being's name?"

"Zetsu," he said, "A being of unknown origin, even to my people, yet it is no less dangerous."

Hiruzen sighed and downed the rest of his drink, "I appreciate you telling me all of this, and would even call you my friend if you permitted it, but I have to ask; why tell me this when you once told me that our realm doesn't concern the Otsutsuki?"

The Otsutsuki smiled, "I would happily call you friend, Hiruzen Sarutobi," he said, "As for why I'm telling you this...the answer is two fold. The first and foremost reason is that should Kaguya's previous self rises, then it would mean that she would eventually come after the rest of us, seeking the chakra that lies within us." He said, sighing as the man nodded, "And the second reason would be that I feel like that you have a true chance of raising the girl into a something other than the monster she had once been."

At this, the aging Hokage smiled, "In that case, I hope I can live up to those hopes," he said, then frowned, "I must also ask if there is a way to face one of your kind in battle. A member of the Forest Realm, I believe he called it, has taken an interest in the one raising Kaguya at the moment, and he did not seem at all friendly."

The horned-being frowned, and nodded, "So I see." He said, "Normal Ninjutsu will not work on us. Nor will Genjutsu. Taijutsu, and Sage Arts are the only techniques that could damage us in any way shape or form."

"That will not be an easy feat," the Hokage sighed, "Out of all the shinobi in the world, only my self and my three students practice the art of Senjutsu. But we doe have an extremely powerful Taijutsu specialist that is capable of doing cataclysmic damage if pushed to his limits."

"The one I believe is interested in the young Uchiha is young, and impetuous." He said, frowning, "Also, if one of us were to pass from his life, our laws dictate that should it be in the realm of humans, such as this land, then we are forbidden from seeking retribution."

"Good to know," Hiruzen sighed, "Thank you for your help. I am eternally grateful."

The man began to disappear once more, "Take care, friend." And just like that, he was gone.

(*)

It was early the next morning when Shisui was roused from his sleep by a pounding knock on the front door. The Uchiha prodigy groaned as he rose up from bed, blinking sleepily, "Who'd be up at this hour?" He wondered, glaring at his alarm clock, noting how early it was. Usually, he would be up and at'em just after dawn, but the previous night's events had drained him physically, and mentally.

The knocking came again as the exhausted teen stumbled out of bed, "Alright, alright!" He frowned as she stumbled toward the front room, slamming the door open, "What the...hell..." The young man started, but came to a screeching halt as he saw who was.

"Good morning, Shisui," Jiraiya greeted him with a raised hand, looking slightly sheepish, "I...realize it's a bit early, but I thought...I'll just come back alter," he sighed, seeing the stupefied look on the Uchiha's face.

"Ah, Lord Jiraiya," Shisui called out as the man turned to leave, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that." He said, straightening up, "It was just a long night last night. The kids didn't go to sleep until late, and I didn't sleep all that well, either."

Jiraiya turned to him with a sad smile, "Worrying that I might come by and take the boy away?" He asked.

Shisui blushed, and gave a short, slight nod. In truth, he had been fearing such a turnout since he saw the name on the documents concerning Naruto's legal guardian. "I didn't think I was cut out to be a father figure, but..."

"You already love them both like your own," Jiraiya nodded, sighing, "Don't worry, Shisui, I can't take Naruto with me, even though I want to, a life on the road such as mine is no life for a boy his age." He smiled at the young man, "Besides, I doubt Naruto would want to come with me. He doesn't know me as he was supposed to, and then he has that little sweetheart to keep company, doesn't he?"

Shisui rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face, "Ugh, not another matchmaker," he bemoaned, "Either way, it's true that they're very attached to each other. I doubt Kaguya would ever be able to recover from her trauma if Naruto wasn't around to keep her company."

Jiraiya chuckled, "I wouldn't do that to either one of them," the Sage said, smiling, "I...uh, found the gifts that Naruto was suppose to be receiving over the years, so I brought them by."

Shisui smiled, "I'm sure he'll love them."

Indeed, when Naruto and Kaguya woke up it was to find the front room piled with seven years worth of gifts for the young blond. The first of which was a nightcap that he shared with Kaguya since she thought it was cute. Next came a little toad-shaped wallet. These were sent to Naruto when he was just a toddler. The next few were different. They were picture frames. With pictures already in them.

"Who're these people?" Naruto asked his grandfather, pointing to a blond man, and a red-haired woman, who was obviously pregnant as she smiled at the camera.

Jiraiya smiled at the boy, and patted him on the head, "Those, Naruto my boy, are your parents." He said, making the little blond look up at him with teary eyes. "My adopted son, Minato, the late Fourth Hokage, and his wife, princess of the Uzumaki clan, Kushina Uzumaki."

Hearing this, a flood of questions erupted through the little boy's mind, but nothing came out of his mouth as his tears spilled over. He looked down at the photo, and clutched it to his chest, "Did...did they want me?"

"They did," Jiraiya smiled at the boy, and sat him on his knee, "When your mother found out she was going to have you, she was so happy that she cried for half an hour straight."

"Crying's what you do when you're sad," Naruto said, his own tears still flowing.

Jiraiya chuckled, "Not so, Naruto," he said, and tapped him on the nose, "There's some times in a person's life that they can be so happy that they just start crying. Just like you. Or aren't you happy?"

The answer to that question, surprising even the little blond boy, was yes. Naruto was, for once in his life, happier than he'd ever been.

His other gifts were for his coming years at the shinobi academy which included a box each of kunai and shuriken, and some plated steel under armor that could be adjusted for any growth spurts he might have.

All the while this was going on, Kaguya sat in Shisui's lap, watching the two of them. Even though he had made her a promise, the little girl couldn't help feeling that this man would take Naruto away somehow.

"P-Papa?"

Shisui stiffened when he heard the familiar, yet strange voice speaking to him from his arms. He looked down and saw Kaguya staring up at him with a sad look on her face.

"I-Is N-N-Naru-ru-to g-gonna g-g-go away?" The little girl asked, stuttering horribly. Yet the young Uchiha smiled down at her, and hugged her tightly.

"Of course he's not," he said, smiling happily, "He's gonna stay right here with us."

Kaguya beamed, "R-r-really?"

Jiraiya chuckled as Naruto grinned widely at the little girl as she spoke for the first time since meeting her, "Just so long as you don't mind a grumpy old toad like me coming around once in a while." Jiraiya grinned widely, "You'll have to tell me your birthday, too. That way I can spoil both my cute little grandchildren, right?"

Shisui laughed as Kaguya wriggled out of his arms, and bounced right into Jiraiya's as the large man hugged both of them, laughing loudly. The young Uchiha smiled as he saw his little makeshift family getting bigger right before his eyes.

* * *

 _ **The Childhood Arc will be coming to and end soon as we move into the Academy Arc. Really, there's only one, maybe two chapters left to this arc with everything coming together.**_

 _ **Please review if you liked the chapter.**_


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